Originally Posted by
alexk_il
Kind of makes sense, but not sure if this is how my brakes work.
They come with the built in barrel adjuster that positions the brake arm at 5-5:30 o'clock, looking from where the cable goes.
I bring the arm with the barrel adjuster closer to 4, pads are touching the rotor at 3, directly at the right angle. I would assume this to be the optimal position for the arm, is it not?
I agree that any angle greater than that 3:00 position,
when fully applied, is fine. The problem is that many do not understand the leverage issue and continue to adjust past that position as pads wear.
The clock analogy would be a little better, though less dramatic, if the hands were pulleys. The cable runs over a radial foot before the pinch bolt. As long as the cable is contacting that foot, the leverage is unaffected by arm position. If you start at the fully extended position, and then fine tune with the a turn or two of the barrel adjuster, that's okay. And the next time you descend a couple of mountain passes and would like better brake feel before riding home, a turn of the adjuster in the field is okay, too. It's there for a reason. But don't make a habit of it.